Re: The General Footy Thread

Re: The General Footy Thread

shaunstrudwick wrote:

smashdad wrote:

I say again - Man Utd are far better off at this stage of this season than Liverpool were last season. With the one significant difference that 'taking over from SAF' was a media shitstorm always waiting to happen whilst the 2012/2013 expectations around Brendan Rodgers were far more realistic.

2 wins better off

we had 39 points at end of Feb last season

The difference is also that we were looking stronger and stronger with each game (and had an excellent second half to the season), whereas United are looking worse and worse despite the addition of Mata. That's why I'd want shut of Moyes if I were a United fan.

Re: The General Footy Thread

Beijing Dave wrote:

shaunstrudwick wrote:

smashdad wrote:

I say again - Man Utd are far better off at this stage of this season than Liverpool were last season. With the one significant difference that 'taking over from SAF' was a media shitstorm always waiting to happen whilst the 2012/2013 expectations around Brendan Rodgers were far more realistic.

2 wins better off

we had 39 points at end of Feb last season

The difference is also that we were looking stronger and stronger with each game (and had an excellent second half to the season), whereas United are looking worse and worse despite the addition of Mata.

Re: The General Footy Thread

Zoran "Keep the ball on the ground, short sharp passes, use your eyes, theres a gap there! Motherfucking cunts!"Player "I like the coach"Doc maker "Why?"Player "He's a very polite man, very nice, good tactics"Zoran "Hey you! There's space in the middle there! Bah, a donkey is fucking your mother in her pussy right now!"

Re: The General Footy Thread

Moyes should be judged, like any other manager, when he has his own team on the field. End of. If Utd haven't improved once he brings in new signings and changes the atmosphere around the place, then I'll understand.

The reason Brent got abuse last year was not because of the way Pool played, it was because of the envelopes, and the portrait on the wall, and the cheeseball teamtalks on Being Liverpool. The abuse being aimed at Moyes is just petty vitriol, pent up over time, makes no sense to the proper football aficcionado out there

20 years of hurt, Dave. I understand. The fact remains, the only person whose made any sense here is Smashdad. The difference a year can make once you've had more time to implement your ideas to a fresh bunch of players is massive, and Pool are all the better for it this year.

Re: The General Footy Thread

starcreeper wrote:

Moyes should be judged, like any other manager, when he has his own team on the field. End of. If Utd haven't improved once he brings in new signings and changes the atmosphere around the place, then I'll understand.

I'd happily agree with his, but football is very cut-throat these days. Results need to be near instantaneous or you are shit and need to be sacked. Sacking the manager solves all ills, as Fulham, Cardiff and West Brom have all shown recently.Mourinho took over Benitez's team (who had them playing very well by the of last season) and, despite taking them backwards (in my view), is still doing very well with them. I backed them to win the league in early December and that is looking a good choice. Pelligrini, even with a poor start, and some lolz results, is looking ever stronger - even if they will get dumped out of the CL (unlimited funds is a nice advantage tbf). Now if both those two can take over a team and have them performing at the top of the league, why can't Moyes do the same with last years Champions? It's a question that any top team needs to be asking. As I said, I don't believe in just sacking the manager but, flip side of the coin, I don't see why Moyes should just be given all this backing just because Fergie told the fans they should back him. He hasn't earned it in the slightest.

There is no doubt, in my mind, that Fergie had the ability to make a team play better than the sum of it's parts and the team is weaker than it let on during his reign. But so bad that it should be celebrating a victory against Palace like they'd just won the league? So bad that Fulham take a 2-2 draw at OT? You compare Moyes with Mourinho/Pelligrini and it doesn't look good. Especially for a man with so much Premier League experience... which is important, apparently...

I have no axe to grind with Moyes. Always respected what he did with Everton. But, so far, it seems apparent that he's a decent manager and found his level at Goodison Park. But he doesn't have the ability to manage a top side.

Re: The General Footy Thread

The "Its the same team as last year" is a complete red herring, Presto. Dreamt up by bampots like Robbie Savage and Paul Merson.

Moyes has rotated the back four something like 24 times this year because of injuries, Smalling and Cleverley werent regulars, Scholes was having a belter of a season so was Giggs. Rooney barely played, Welbeck was having a stormer. And RVPs goals won us the league when he's hardly played this year at all. You cant just say its the same team, the circumstances are completely different. Its about form and psychology with the players. That argument is thrown around flippantly and its worm out already.

When Mourinho left Chelsea he didnt leave behind an ageing, overachieving squad, the core of the squad were in their prime. The following year when Grant took over they were strong but they werent the same team, they'd lost their spark and they didnt play with the confidence of a Mourinho side. The quality of the players in the squad kept them in contention, Grant was lucky in that sense. Moyes doesnt have that luxury and the impact of Fergie leaving is only know starting to show. The quality of our team/squad is nowhere near the standard Chelsea had when Avram Grant took over. The sense I get from most of the senior players at Utd now is that they'd rather be gone now too, quit while at the top or move on. Be remembered for the good ole days with Fergie instead of becoming a scapegoat for the fans during the transition. You can see it with Evra, Carrick, Young, Rio and even RVP to an extent. The media like to dumb it down by blaming it simply on tactics or players revolting for the added dramatic effect. The reality is it's far more complicated. Look at Pool last year, its more or less the same team. Arsenal, same thing. Whats different this year? All about form, belief and quality of players in the team, Presto. That's all it is.

Behind the scenes, certain players know they're on the way out and it's effecting the morale of the team. Once the deadweight is gone and Moyes brings in the players he wants, things will be different. United just need a spring cleaning and a change of atmosphere. Once the placed has been cleaned out and Moyes spends 150M, then he should be judged. If we're still playing like Bristol Rovers, I'll agree with you.